Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs chuck roast or stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour (for dusting)
  • 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter or Olive Oil
  • 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
  • 3 medium Carrots, peeled and sliced (½-inch thick)
  • 3 Celery stalks, sliced (½-inch thick)
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • ½ cup Dry Red Wine (optional, for deglazing)
  • 8 cups Beef Broth (low sodium preferred)
  • 1 cup Pearl Barley, rinsed well
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • ¼ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Pat beef cubes dry. Toss lightly with salt, pepper, and flour.
  2. Heat butter or oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches until well-browned on all sides; remove and set aside. Do not crowd the pan.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened (about 7–8 minutes). Add garlic and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the red wine (if using), scraping up any browned bits (the fond) from the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble and reduce by half.
  5. Return the seared beef to the pot. Add beef broth, rinsed barley, thyme, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce heat immediately to low, cover loosely, and simmer gently for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender.
  7. Remove bay leaves. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. If the soup is too thick, add a splash more broth.
  8. Ladle into bowls, garnish generously with fresh parsley, and serve hot.